


Pure Mabuhay

by Soquilii9



Category: Almost Paradise (TV)
Genre: Alex Walker - Freeform, Almost Paradise, Cebu Philippines, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:42:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23486254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soquilii9/pseuds/Soquilii9
Summary: A former DEA agent forced into early retirement bought a gift shop in Cebu, the Philippine Islands.Kai's neighborhood shows its appreciation.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 22





	Pure Mabuhay

_Barely had enough time to stash my bag, grab a beer and settle in before the shit hit the fan._

_All right, now._

_Time to get to work!_

Alex Walker frequently talked to himself, aloud in private; under his breath in public, as he did in the beer house just before he fucked up a sting operation by the local police department. _Look away. This has nothin’ to do with you_. That time, he figured, he should have listened to himself and just finished his beer.

However... he'd spotted a potential hitter. Had he not acted, their blood would have been on his hands and his heart monitor would have exploded.

So... he got involved.

His old skill set, actually not that old since he’d recently retired, hadn’t rusted in the slightest. Amazing how he’d easily slipped back into the role, almost like a comfortable pair of shoes. It was just the rest of his body he had to worry about.

_Okay, maybe I can be of some use to 'em in the future, just to observe and advise._ He’d agreed to that, even if this time it'd gotten more physical than he’d planned. Now that it was over, he had a shop to refurbish, repair and restock. That was the goal, wasn’t it? That was the reason he was here… wasn’t it? That was the retirement plan. That and having to go to the goddamn doctor every time he wanted a government paycheck. Mrs. Shouts-With-Threats, the manager lady, had said he could make **_so much money_ **! If that was so, maybe he could tell 'em where to stick their government paycheck. 

Another day or two of work on the shop, a lot of sweeping, cleaning and a little painting later, he was now on a ladder, repairing one of the fluorescent ceiling lights. He held his breath as the dangling light flickered. He didn’t immediately see Kai Mendoza open the door and quietly enter.

‘Come _on_!’ he urged the flickering light. It flashed on and stayed on. He grinned. _Ahhh!_

‘Starting to look real good in here, Alex,’ said Kai.

She didn't startle him. ‘Ah, thank you.’ Alex climbed down off the ladder. ‘Probably should have paid a little more attention in shop class in high school, but… yeah, she’s coming along.’

‘You hungry? Can you take a break?’

He considered. ‘I could eat.’

‘Come on - I think you’ll like this.’

He looked at her, intrigued. She was smiling - and certainly behaving in a friendlier manner than when he first met her, and during the few days they'd worked together.

Outside, night had fallen; warm ocean breezes wafted over the tall bushes he had not yet cut, and he could hear the chatter of a large crowd. Music was playing in the background.

‘Wow,’ he said, amazed.

There must have been sixty or seventy people milling about, sitting at long tables arranged under lights strung from high poles. Everything looked quite festive. The tables were covered with a multitude of bright colors. Children romped and played. Gaily-dressed dancers performed to rhythmic Filipino music. Kai escorted Alex down the gentle slope, her hand pressing firmly against his back as if she feared he would bolt and run.

Ernesto Alamares spotted them and called for everyone’s attention, announcing Special Agent Alex Walker in a strong, loud voice.

_What's this? Am I reinstated or something? Why’d he do that? What’s going on here?_ Alex’s head was a jumble of thoughts. 

As if on cue, several people surrounded him and placed a white garment* over his head. It was a beautifully embroidered shirt with long sleeves and a long tail; they struggled a little to pull it down, after which one woman buttoned it up, obliterating the dirty, dusty, paint-smeared T-shirt he had on. The exquisitely decorated shirt buckled; straining a little across his muscular chest and shoulders. Another person placed half a green coconut, from which protruded a long straw, in his hand. Alex's eyes were wide with uncertainty.

Everyone was clapping for him, Kai included. He looked around at everyone, not sure of what was happening. He caught Kai’s eye. _What’s going on here?!_

‘You said they never threw you a parade,’ she smiled at him. ‘Well, here it is.’

His face still reflected apprehension, as if he thought maybe they were preparing him for a barbecue and he was the main course.

‘I -- _oh_ ,’ he amended, as a small boy took his hand. That was reassuring.

Ernesto and Kai led him to a table in a place of honor. 

‘I don’t understand,’ he said.

‘Five blocks, Alex,’ said Kai, referring to the old neighborbood of her youth she had shown him earlier. ‘These are the people who live there, and these are the people you helped today.’

Still a little unsure but touched, Alex sat down. He turned to Ernesto. ‘What is this?’

‘Mabuhay, Agent Walker,’ Ernesto reassured him, tapping his own green coconut with a small thud against both Alex’s and Kai’s in a toast. **_‘Pure mabuhay.’_**

Relaxing at last, Alex closed his mouth over the straw and sipped something both delicious and endorphin-releasing as everyone cheered him.

His mind spoke to him. _Okay, buddy, you’ve been accepted. You’re appreciated. If the shop fails, you have a back-up. You have new friends. Things could be worse. Hell, you’re not too old, who knows? Maybe you’ll find an island mama, settle down and have a family. Then again... maybe not. That’s too domestic and you like the life. Maybe you won’t attain true **mabuhay** except in snatches such as this one. You **like** the danger. You **like** settling the score. You **like** taking down the drug lords and their henchmen. You can’t do it worldwide, but in your own small sphere you can help these people win the war on drugs. You won’t bend to the dark side like your partner did. As long as you can, you’ll help them fight for these islands. They’ve shown you their heart. _

_Now show them yours._

_Fight for them._

_Anyway, you **know** you **love** it. _

  
  
The End

**Author's Note:**

> *Believed to be the significance of the embroidered white shirt from Wikipedia:  
> The barong tagalog, more commonly known simply as barong is an embroidered long-sleeved, buttoned and pocket-less formal shirt for men and a national dress of the Philippines. Barong tagalog combines elements from both the precolonial native Filipino and colonial Spanish clothing styles. It is traditionally made with sheer textiles woven from piña or abacá; although in modern times, cheaper materials like silk, ramie, or polyester are also used. It is a common formal or semi-formal attire in Filipino culture for festive wear.


End file.
